# What is the war movie (historical) you'd like to see made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 15, 2021, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152 "2021-05-15T11:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/61 "2021-05-17T19:22:38Z")
The Fall of Constantinople (1453) - was the capture of the Byzantine Empire’s capital by the Ottoman Empire. The attacking Ottoman army significantly outnumbered Constantinople’s defenders. The Fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, and effectively the end of the Roman Empire, a state which dated back to 27 BC and lasted nearly 1,500 years. The conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire is sometimes considered the end of the Medieval period. The city’s fall also stood as a turning point in military history. Since ancient times, cities and castles had depended upon ramparts and walls to repel invaders; here the city also used “greek fire” to repel the invaders. However, Constantinople’s substantial fortifications were overcome with the use of gunpowder, specifically in the form of large cannons. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/62 "2021-05-17T19:39:29Z")
I think a modern remake of [The Dam Busters (film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dam_Busters_(film)) about [Operation Chastise - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise) could be pretty cool to watch. Focusing on the engineering work that leads up to it, the internal politics of the war department, the training and the attacks and then the damage resulting. It would be a CGI bonanza with hints of the Doolittle Raid, the Imitation Game, a flood disaster movie, and the Memphis Belle. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/63 "2021-05-17T19:42:54Z")
Peter Jackson was working on a remake of The Dam Busters but the project seems stuck in development hell ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/64 "2021-05-17T19:46:59Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > The Fall of Constantinople (1453) - was the capture of the Byzantine Empire’s capital by the Ottoman Empire. The attacking Ottoman army significantly outnumbered Constantinople’s defenders. Only if the soundtrack is by Al Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/65 "2021-05-17T19:48:01Z")
I hadn’t heard about that but a quick Googling seems to say that Jackson’s movie rights expire this year, and thus it’s not happening. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/66 "2021-05-17T20:15:03Z")
I would love to see a movie about the Battle of Castle Itter, aka the strangest battle of WWII. Castle Itter was an old castle that was being used by the Germans to house high profile prisoners at the end of WWII. One of the prisoners was a world famous tennis star. Another prisoner was the former Prime Minister of France. At the time of the battle, Hitler had already committed suicide several days earlier and the German military was falling apart. The guards basically said screw this and left. But there were still SS and other German units in the area and the prisoners could not safely leave. So the prisoners used their prison as a fort to defend themselves and sent a couple people out to find help. A German Wehrmacht unit under the command of an officer who was opposed to the Nazis came to their aid, along with a small American force. So they basically ended up with a castle full of VIP prisoners, defended by both U.S. and German soldiers, fighting against a German SS unit. The battle is actually considered important for historical reasons, as many of the French VIP prisoners ended up in positions of power after the war and played a significant role in shaping the post-war period in France and Germany. If the SS had won the battle, those men would have likely been killed and post-war France could have been significantly different. I believe that it is also the only battle in WWII where U.S. and German forces actually fought together on the same side. If they ever make a movie out of it, people will have a hard time believing that it’s really based on a true story. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/67 "2021-05-17T20:27:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > > [@CoolHandCox](#): > > > > The Fall of Constantinople (1453) - was the capture of the Byzantine Empire’s capital by the Ottoman Empire. The attacking Ottoman army significantly outnumbered Constantinople’s defenders. > > Only if the soundtrack is by Al Stewart. Not They Might Be Giants? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/68 "2021-05-17T20:44:29Z")
I think there’s a LOT of un-plowed cinematic ground for the Byzantine Empire, but I’m not so sure that the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is the place to start. If nothing else, it seems absolutely ripe for a modern-day “Game of Thrones” style adaptation with sex, palace intrigue, violence, etc… and a few good battles of the Byzantines vs. the Bulgars, Turks or Sassanids. Also… Bernard Cornwell’s _Warlord Chronicles_ would make a _ **fantastic** _ miniseries- it culminates with the Battle of Mt. Badon, with Arthur’s Britons vs. the Anglo-Saxons in a huge battle. Not necessarily a war movie per se, but very war-like and lots of battle scene opportunities. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/69 "2021-05-17T23:08:43Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Not They Might Be Giants? Them for the wacky travel comedy. For the Fall, definitely Al. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qD4GDj7JVgs/maxresdefault.jpg "Constantinople") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD4GDj7JVgs) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/70 "2021-05-17T23:24:45Z")
Has there ever been a movie about the female warriors in pre-modern Japan ([Onna-musha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onna-musha))? And [Nakano Takeko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakano_Takeko) in particular? (She was hard-core… she asked her sister to behead her.) I’d also like to see a film about the [Torreón massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre%C3%B3n_massacre). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/71 "2021-05-17T23:24:46Z")
IIRC, the Francis, the Talking Mule, movies were originally set in the CBI theater. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/72 "2021-05-17T23:26:25Z")
There’s a pretty decent Netflix series on this already, created in 2020 by a Turkish production company called [Rise of Empires: Ottoman - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_of_Empires:_Ottoman). I do think could be a pretty interesting story, kind of like _Kingdom of Heaven_ in scope. This series bounces back and forth between drama and documentary in a slightly weird History-channel like way. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/73 "2021-05-18T00:43:53Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > A German Wehrmacht unit under the command of an officer who was opposed to the Nazis came to their aid, along with a small American force. This is really intriguing. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/74 "2021-05-18T01:35:23Z")
Operation Cerberus - the [Channel Dash.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Dash#Operation_Cerberus) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/75 "2021-05-18T01:50:03Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > The Fall of Constantinople (1453) - was the capture of the Byzantine Empire’s capital by the Ottoman Empire. > [@bump](#): > > I think there’s a LOT of un-plowed cinematic ground for the Byzantine Empire, but I’m not so sure that the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is the place to start. How about the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders, in 1204? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/76 "2021-05-18T03:01:29Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > In the spirit of “A Bridge Too Far”: Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing of the Ploiesti oil refineries. History showed how abandonment of doctrine, an enemy’s well-planned defense, and plain hard luck can combine to produce a disaster. And, it would shed light on the POL (Petroleum-Oil-Lubricant) strategic bombing campaign. Really, there hasn’t been a good movie about the bombing campaign in Europe since… well, before I was born, so far as I can recall. (“Memphis Belle” hasn’t aged well.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/77 "2021-05-18T03:15:36Z")
This does sound cool. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/78 "2021-05-18T04:36:31Z")
( Okay… but please lets never mention them! That’s like calling “Hogans Heroes” and “McHale’s Navy” historical dramas.) I meant that the CBI theater was never given the “Midway” or “Band of Brothers” treatment. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/79 "2021-05-18T05:09:51Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think there’s a LOT of un-plowed cinematic ground for the Byzantine Empire, but I’m not so sure that the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is the place to start. _Count Belasarius_ would be a terrific miniseries. You could make an interesting miniseries on the events of 1066. Operation Torch probably deserves some attention. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/80 "2021-05-18T05:24:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I would love to see a movie about the Battle of Castle Itter, aka the strangest battle of WWII. They’re supposed to be making it. I don’t know what the current status is, though. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5138232/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5138232/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152.md?page=5)